Luke – whose band featured at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Glasgow along with 1D on Saturday (awks!) – said: “I got death threats. I actually got death threats and that’s their fanbase.

“It’s very strange that these days you can’t take the p*** out of a boyband . I find that really weird. A few years ago we didn’t even have boybands. I was really drunk and I wrote something and it went nuts.”

That “something” definitely didn’t end up how young Luke intended. Back in November - while a little bit merry - Luke kicked off a string of anti-One Direction tweets (which were later deleted) saying: “5 Little Things We Learned From One Direction’s iHeartRadio Album Release Party… stop this malfunction. world realign please. artists dying.”

He then told one of his fans who admitted also liking 1D: “How can you be a fan of something that has no life? I honestly feel so depressed that you are into Kooks.”

He rounded off: “Hahah I’m so drunk. F*** it. I’m looking at what is there, seriously!! Is that what we have? Please buy real music… Rant… over.”

But eagle-eyed Liam Payne saw the tweets and responded: “Sad thing is Luke we are/were fans of your band, nice one man verbally attacking your own fans how very rock and roll of you.”

And that’s when the death threats started up. Luke, 29, said of the malicious tweets: “It was like I had clubbed baby seals.”

The singer – who’s new album Listen is out in September – said he regretted venting his rage on Twitter and that he doesn’t have anything against 1D:

“I felt really bad. But I do feel bad about it because I know they are nice guys living their dream, they are talented in their own way, but for me it’s the machine they’re from.